quo warranto

noun

A legal proceeding used to challenge the right of an individual or corporation to hold a public office or to exercise a certain franchise or privilege.

OriginMedieval Latin quō warrantō →
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Meanings

nounquo warranto (plural quo warrantos)

plural quo warrantos

  1. lawA legal proceeding used to challenge the right of an individual or corporation to hold a public office or to exercise a certain franchise or privilege.

Origin

  1. Medieval Latinquō warrantō“by what warrant”
  2. Englishquo warranto

Borrowed from Medieval Latin quō warrantō (“by what warrant”).

More words from Medieval Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

quo warranto. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quo%20warranto

MLA

“quo warranto.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quo%20warranto. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quo warranto,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quo%20warranto.

Source: quo warranto on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.